Slight uptick in "Duck Dynasty" return viewership

2 years ago

Birds of a feather apparently flock together. "Duck Dynasty's" loyal fan base returned to the series Wednesday night in similar fashion to the last season closer. Following a controversial month that saw the suspension and reinstatement of "Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson, Wednesday night's episode drew eight-point-five-million viewers to the series, up slightly from the eight-point-four-million who tuned in to "Duck's" Season Four finale last October. But when compared to the show's fourth season premiere last August, there is a noticeable drop-off from the nearly 12 million viewers who tuned in for that summer episode.

Just two weeks after A&E suspended him for controversial remarks about gays and African-Americans in a "GQ" interview, Robertson was reinstated to "Duck Dynasty" after much fan backlash. A&E said Robertson would not miss an episode of filming for the show's next season.